NATS

This week’s staff movements highlight changes at one of the world’s most distinctive airports, an ambitious British startup, and a growing U.S. airport.

Former Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East has been appointed chairman of NATS, the UK air navigation service provider.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

A new series of demonstration flights aimed at showing how drones can be integrated into operations at major UK airports is being prepared for later in 2024.

A lack of planning for major incidents as well as delays contributed to UK travel chaos after a NATS air traffic control system meltdown.

A preliminary investigation into the Aug. 28 incident by UK air navigation service provider NATS had traced the problem to a flight plan processing sub-system.

The CAA said its final decision sets the price control for NATS’ en route services in line with the provisional decision published in July 2023.

Thirty percent of NATS control tower staff were unavailable on Sept. 25 for a variety of medical reasons, including COVID-19, Gatwick Airport said.

Listen in as editors discuss the initial findings of a NATS report into the “one-in-15 million” event that caused UK air travel chaos.

A preliminary NATS investigation into the Aug. 28 meltdown has traced the problem to a flight plan processing sub-system.

"I fear we will see a continuing failure to improve the reliability, cost efficiency, and environmental performance of air traffic control," IATA's Willie Walsh said.

NATS said that although air traffic flow restrictions have been imposed, UK airspace is not closed.

UK air navigation service provider NATS plans to establish a new back-up air traffic control tower for London’s Heathrow airport.

Flight frequencies on many routes continue to be significantly below pre-COVID-19 levels.

Airlines will be able to choose their own direct routes through parts of Scottish airspace, due to a project led by air traffic controllers at NATS Prestwick Centre.